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Best awkward compliment you've gotten
- Thread starter VeryTallBassist
- Start date
A few months back, this older guy came up to me as I walked off stage and said “Good job. You certainly live in the real world, don’t you?” And then he walked away.
I have absolutely no idea what that meant.
I have absolutely no idea what that meant.
Drunk guy leaning on a walking stick at the edge of the stage just shouting, “WOOOOOOOO!!!” Over and over again all night and then incoherently babbling while pointing at me and making air-bass gestures…. I think he was complementing me/us?
My personal favorite is "You guys were actually pretty good."
I always interpreted that as, "Our expectations were pretty low, but you've managed to exceed them."
I always interpreted that as, "Our expectations were pretty low, but you've managed to exceed them."
A few months back my wife came out to see me play at a blues jam that had a whole bunch of new players and people who didn't know us. She was kinda getting bored with everyone talking afterward and when one person asked how long I'd played bass she suddenly shouted "you're a bass player? You told me you were a musician!" Smacked my arm and stormed out.
it was most hysterical.
it was most hysterical.
Well last night I got a call from some kids dad, "I was told that your the best at knowing all things bass and I was hoping your can help choose a bass for my son and direct him in learning, we have a guitar but I'm buying him a bass because it only has 4 strings and will be much easier".
I always feel awkward if someone says they like my tone/sound. I presume they didn’t care much for my playing 
Back in 1972 when I still had a lot of hair over my forehead, Vera, our female vocalist, suggested I come it all straight back. So I did one night. I have to admit it looked a little like a lion's mane surrounding my head. I usually parted it on the side. I had to use a little bit of hair spray to keep it in place, which Vera was happy to supply.
At the first break these two women in their 30's (I was 22 at the time so thought of them as "older women"). Came up to me and asked me to settle a bet for them. The one asking said, "Is that your own hair? We have a bet going. My girlfriend thinks that's a wig and I think it's really your hair." I kind of chuckled and said, "No, it's not a wig. It's my real hair." Then she asked if she could pull on it to show her it's real, and without even thinking about it I said "Sure."
She then reached up on the left side of my head and yanked on my hair....HARD! If I'd been wearing a wig, it would have gone sailing across the room. I was surprised she didn't pull some of my hair out. Then her eyes got huge and she said, "Oh my GOD!! That is your real hair. It looks so perfect." That was the last night I wore my hair brushed straight back like that.
Here's what I "normally" looked like back then - a mere 52-years ago.
Now-days, I pull my hair back in a pony-tail and I wear a hat so the front of my head doesn't get cold. "That's my story and I'm skickin' with it!"
I was playing in a bar with a band in which I was the only paleface (at the age of 20; 73 now). A guy came up offering his open palm and said, "man, you sound black." I gave him five and will forever cherish that moment.
I bet my friend the bass player had to be a brother. I like the way you play."
One of the best compliments I ever received!
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I didn't know bass players could sing so high (I hope she meant pitch and not "under the influence" lol).
"you're the most bassist of all the bass players I know"
You’ve got the groove for a man with a gray hair !
Ran into an old band mate, whose band I quit, at a bar where my new band was playing....
You're the 2nd best bass player I've ever played with
You're the 2nd best bass player I've ever played with
The guitarist in my band gave one to another band we played with once, "You guys were a lot of fun!"
Their BL's response was pretty on point. "We were fun? You're not going to say that we sound good, or that you like our music? Just that's we're fun? Well I'm glad we're fun. F#$% you."
Their BL's response was pretty on point. "We were fun? You're not going to say that we sound good, or that you like our music? Just that's we're fun? Well I'm glad we're fun. F#$% you."
I don't know. Seems like a pretty straightforward compliment to me.
Yeah I certainly wouldn't have responded to it that way, but when I talked to the guitarist about it later he said "That's actually exactly how I meant it, I didn't like their music and I thought their tone was bad, so I was trying to find something nice to say without lying to them."
A fellow musician told me a couple of months back" You should be our bass player. You're the funkiest white bass player I know."
